


Appearances

by sceawere



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Grumpy Alfie, Organized Crime, Sassy, i like writing women who keep alfie in line basically, it's a running theme at this point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 18:16:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16142807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sceawere/pseuds/sceawere
Summary: Alfie knows that when one is intent on running a criminal empire, there is a need to at least appear legitimate. The big sign saying 'Bread Company' isn't fooling anyone on it's own. That's where she comes in.-Based on a headcanon I had. Alfie hires a woman to run the very legitimate, very real, absolutely doing what it says on the tin bakery office and run interference. She has a hell of a job on her hands.





	Appearances

Alfie had been trying to stare Tommy down for about 5 minutes now but his eyes kept getting pulled up to the window behind him. She was stood there, arms crossed, her face blank but he knew that look and it was the look that usually meant he was going to get a bollocking and a half.

“Would you excuse me, please, Thomas?” Alfie asked, raising his finger to indicate a moment as he raised from the desk.

Tommy watched him leave, slightly confused and turned to see him walk over to a woman stood outside. She fixed him with a sickly sweet smile and he saw Alfie huff about a bit, speaking about something he couldn’t hear. He fell back in the chair and lit a cigarette, barely settling in when he heard her shouting.

“Three fucking times, Alfie! I swear to God, I have to keep mopping up shit like this and I’ll set this damn place on fire myself!” she bellowed.

She stormed past him, wrenched the door open, and cleared her throat before speaking.

“You must forgive me, Mr Shelby, I apologise for the interruption” her tone was polite and measured, a contrast to the one she’d used with Alfie.

And with that, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the shadows again.

Alfie huffed in, dropped himself into the chair and poured himself a drink.

“We’re not going to discuss this” Alfie gruffed, not meeting Tommy’s eye.

“Trouble, Mr Solomons?” he smirked, blowing the smoke up.

“More than you bloody know”

-

“What’s this?” you questioned, eyeing the package Alfie had dropped on your desk before he’d turned and headed for the door again.

“It’s a sorry” he threw over his shoulder. You shouted him down and he paused, turning back to you. You moved your eyes from him, to the package, to him.

“What is it?” you asked, poking at the box softly.

“Open it” he gestured to it.

“You told me to never open strange packages that come to the office” you tilted your head, using the same obvious tone he had. He sighed, slouching back down. He walked over to you, resting his cane against your desk.

He pulled at the ribbon wrapped around it, muttering to himself about ‘ _you try to do a good thing’_. He flicked the paper lid up, turning it to you, sliding it across the table.

“There, you’ve gone and ruined it. I hope you’re happy” he groused.

You scowled at him, flicking the tissue out of the way.

“Bread. Lovely” you placed your hands on your hips, swallowing a smile at his deep sigh.

“It’s not just ‘bread’,” he mocked your tone, pulling his whole body into the performance “that’s special bread that is”

He gestured to the box, looking back up at you with his brows raised. You rolled your tongue into your cheek, nodding back at him.

“Why…is it special, exactly?” you asked, tucking a hair behind your ear again.

“Because-“he sighed again, pausing to collect himself. Alfie wasn’t particularly practiced when it came to sentiment. “I made it like my grandad used to, alright? It was meant to be special”

He picked up his cane and made his way back over to the door that led to the courtyard. The office was a separate little building from the ‘bakery’ factory proper, though it was built over it. Whenever you wanted to go give one of the lads a little reminder to shut the fuck up and try not to get the lot of you arrested, you had to storm out and across, down and around. It was tiring. You’d tried to get Alfie to build a little internal staircase but somehow the argument of more frequent and less strenuous bollockings had failed to convince him.

“Wait! Mr Solomons” you called after him, waiting until he’d turned back to you before continuing.

“Thank you. That was a really lovely thing to do and I appreciate it” you replied sincerely, moving your weight from one foot to the other. This wasn’t the usual conversation you had with your boss. You basically only saw each other when something had gone catastrophically wrong. Or when one of you was belligerently drunk.

He looked away, nodding back to you. God, this felt awkward.

“Right, well am I off the hook then?” he questioned, and you smiled back to him.

“For now” you replied, moving back to your desk.

“For now. Well that will have to do” he turned.

-

It was freezing outside and somehow even colder as you made your way across the courtyard down into the factory building. It was pitch black but thankfully somehow had left the lamps on in the office, glowing out through the blinds.

“Oh, Mr Solomons! I thought no-one was-“you turned to look out onto the still floor, populated by nothing but the barrels.

“It’s alright. I’ll be leaving in a minute” he explained, tidying away the stack of papers on his desk “you’re s’posed clock out at 6, what you doing here?”

“I made it to the train before I remembered I never signed off on those stock forms. The couriers coming first thing in the morning and I’m at the dentist and-“

“Yeah, alright love. I don’t need your life story” he replied, winking when you glared back at him.

“I could get twice the pay and half the late nights working at the Johnson’s place, you know that Mr Solomons?” you spat back, arms firmly crossing across your chest.

“No, you couldn’t. Besides, you’d miss me too much” he threw a clutch of forms across the desk at you and you bent to sign them off.

“No, I couldn’t. But at least I’d have my health” you snarked, tutting when the ink smudged onto your fingers. He passed a cloth to you and you wiped them off. You went to hand it back but he scowled, ushering you out of the office as he flicked the lamp off.

“No, that’s yours now, in’t it? Giving me back a dirty cloth – what am I gonna do with that?” he grumbled, locking the door behind you both. If not for the slit of windows at street level you’d be fumbling in the shadows but there was just enough moonlight peeking through to highlight your way.

“Wash it?” you proposed, swinging it around your fist.

“I din’t even do my washing with a war on, love, what makes you think I’m starting now?” you rolled your eyes “don’t do that, they’ll get stuck in your skull”

“How could you even see? It’s darker than a Dalmatians arse in here!” you remarked, shoving the cloth into your pocket with the rest of the shrapnel you carried around. Train tickets, spare coins, cough sweets in crinkly wrapping all blanketed with your new handkerchief.

He tilted his head to you as you walked towards the steps.

“What the hell does-“

“It’s something my aunt says” you breathed as if it was a fully formed explanation, too busy trying to navigate the damp steps in the low light. Alfie kept a hand to your back, making sure you didn’t trip as you went.

“Ah, fuck, don’t tell me there’s anymore of you. My heart won’t take it. I’m an aging man, you can’t do that to me. Don’t ro-“

“I’ll roll whatever damn body part I want while it’s still on me, thank you!” you emphasised.

“You talk to all your bosses like that?”

“Only the insufferable ones. And I’m off the clock” you replied, rolling your tone. He hummed as you reached the top of the steps and there were actual lights again. The night watch nodded to you both on the way out, flicking their hats to Alfie.

“You had your tea yet?” he asked and you realised he was still guiding you across the road with his hand to your back. You paused as he did, leaning up against his car. The driver peeked out at you, smirking as he settled back in.

“I…haven’t, no” you replied, wondering where this was going.

“You want to come have it with me?” he finished messing with the gloves in his hand, standing straight. He sniffed and made eye contact with you. You trailed your eyes around the fog descending into the shadows as you thought.

“Do I want to go for tea with you?” you tried to clarify and he flicked his eyes away, then back. He squinted a little.

“Yes”

“You’re - you are asking me to tea with you?” you repeated and he rolled his tongue in his mouth.

“Either that or I could take you to some kind of doctor, if you’re having confusion-“

“Don’t make me call me you a little shit, Mr Solomons. It’d be unfair of you to put me in that position” you replied, keeping eyes with him.

He smirked, resting against the car as well.

“Listen, is that a yes or a-“

“Is this a business thing?” you frowned.

“No, it’s a date. Although I’m considering retracting the offer because it seems I’m misinterpreted your comprehension and that’s a worrying sign of what’s to come, if I’m honest. I like a bit of conversation and if you’ve got some sort of-“

“Shut up” you interrupted.

“Right” he replied, waiting for you to continue. You scoffed, shaking your head.

“Is this a good idea?” you frowned, licking at your lips.

“Probably not. Is it one you’d be interested in though? Because that’s the real question” he asked.

“I…would be. Were it to stand” you adjusted your footing on the cobbles, your heels clacking gently on the damp stone.

“It would” he stepped away from the car, opening the door. He waited for you to get in but you stayed staring in, then back to him.

“A date?” you sought clarification once more.

“Yes”

“With you?”

“Well, Benny will be there with us but that’s so we don’t get shot or something. Don’t let it spoil the mood” the driver poked his hand out of the window, waving to you. You lifted to wave back, clearing your throat.

“Well…in that case. How could a girl resist?” you retorted, climbing into the car.

“Lovely!” Alfie slammed the door behind you, walking around to get in the other side. You laughed as he did, turning his head to you.

“What?” he questioned.

“This is ridiculous. This is a stupid idea. This is irresponsible and unprofessional” you listed, emphasising each point.

“Yeah, but it’s a bit fun, isn’t it?” he scrunched his nose at you, smiling. You smiled back, breaking into laughter as he winked again.

“It is a little bit fun, yeah” you murmured, settling back into the seat. You had a sudden thought, turning to him “Is this so I’ll stop shouting at you?”

“Oh no. What you take me for? You stop shouting at me, the whole fucking place will fall apart by Tuesday, won’t it? No” he scoffed, and you licked your lips, smile growing.

“Then what is it?” you questioned, intrigued as to where exactly this had come from.

“Told you - I’m an ageing man, sweetheart. My prospects are limiting” he motioned with his hands, bringing them together before him. You stared him down, showing him you weren’t amused with his little joke. He smiled back at you as the driver twisted in his seat.

“Ollie said he either had to ask you out or sack you, because he’s sick of listening to Al mooning over you!” Benny added from the front seat and you opened your mouth wide, smiling as you laughed. You turned to Alfie who was staring Benny down with a look you’d only seen him give men that had ‘fallen down the stairs on their way out’ soon after.

He shot your boss a wink, turning to start the car.

“Mr Solomons, do you have a crush on me?” you teased, tilting your head as Benny laughed. Your boss, and apparent date, fumed to himself, looking out the window, before turning back.

“Right” he pointed up to the driver’s seat “you’re fired, for a start”

Benny laughed it off, carrying on driving through the night.

“And you!” he pointed to you, pausing when he saw your smile and raised brows “stop doing that with your face or I’m not buying you no cake after”

“I’ll buy my own cake, thank you very much!” you retorted.

“With money I pay you, meaning I’m still paying for the cake” he pointed to himself, looking away again.

“That’s not how it works” you argued, twisting in your seat to face him better.

“It’s how it works” he insisted, swiping at his nose.

“It’s really not, see-“you leaned forward, about to give him another talking to when Benny interrupted.

“Do you want me to take you straight to yours, Alf? Let you two work this out?” Benny teased, smirking in the mirror back to you both. Alfie reached out and smacked the back of his head, only making him laugh.

“You’re fired. I ain’t kidding this time. Screw what I promised that mother of yours, you ain’t worth the hassle” he spat.

“She’ll batter you” Benny replied, his argument self-contained in his short answer.

“Oh, story of my fucking life. I’m getting it from all sides tonight” Alfie grumbled.

“Benny, do you like cake?” you asked, making Alfie groan again. He was right. This was a little bit fun.

 


End file.
